Using Your AC In The Fall

Date Published:

October 27th, 2018

If your utility bill was a little higher during the summer months than you wanted them to be, fall is the perfect time to recoup some of those costs by using your air conditioner and HVAC system effectively. Follow the tips and tricks outlined by the experts at Legacy Services Air Conditioning and Heating in New Braunfels, and you’ll enjoy a perfectly comfortable home all fall long, without the added utility bill.

Get Serious About Going Solar

You don’t have to install hundreds of dollars worth of solar panels on your home in order to make use of solar power. Simply take the time to pull up the blinds and push back the curtains in your home during the day, especially if they face south. The sunlight will filter through the window and naturally heat your home. You’d be surprised how much warmer a room can feel after just a few minutes of sunlight! Just remember to lower the blinds and curtains at night to keep the chill from the cold windows from seeping into your rooms.

Find Your Biggest Fan

Even though we specialize in HVAC systems like your AC unit, we’re also fond of fans. In the fall, most days you don’t need your air conditioner to cool your home. Instead, you can get away with just using your fans. Fans circulate the air in your home, moving it around and keeping it cool. This allows your AC to take a much-deserved break, and it’s considerably cheaper to run.

Identify Your Drafty Windows

If you always feel cool air coming in from a certain window, then it like has a draft. Take the time to check the caulking around the window and look for areas where it’s come away from the frame. Recaulk the window and then check it for future drafts. You can cover these drafty windows in other ways too. Use insulated drapes to keep air from leaking into your home. You can also use shades. However, if you feel that your drafty windows need more than just caulking and drapes during the fall, you can put heavy-duty clear plastic sheeting over them. By limiting the drafts in and out of your home, you’ll put less strain on your AC, which would have to compensate for the temperature irregularities otherwise.

Don’t Be Afraid To Turn Up The Thermostat

Generally, people consider an inside temperature of 68-72 degrees to be comfortable in their home during the summer. As the weather cools during the fall, it doesn’t need to be that cool in the house too. Turning up your thermostat just two to three degrees can have an impressive impact on your utility bill. Turning up the thermostat ensures that your AC isn’t working as hard all year long.

Don’t Turn Off Your HVAC System

For those looking to save money fast, they might resort to simply shutting off their entire HVAC system. While this might make sense, it’ll cost you dollars and cents. If you turn off your AC unit entirely, and then there’s a warm day in the middle of fall when you power your AC back on, it has to work harder to cool your entire home than if it had been doing that the entire time. You’ll see a spike in your energy bill from AC compensating.

Make Sure Your HVAC System Is Working Properly

Perhaps the easiest way to lower your utility bill is to make sure your AC is working right. That’s where the HVAC service technicians at Legacy Services Air Conditioning and Heating can help. We can visit your New Braunfels home and quickly repair your AC and replace any damaged components. A quick and affordable service call can save you money on your next utility bill. Call us today to schedule your next maintenance call!

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